


Stories

by kangeiko



Category: Firefly
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-04-23
Updated: 2006-04-23
Packaged: 2017-10-08 03:27:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/72219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kangeiko/pseuds/kangeiko





	Stories

"Tell me a story, Simon," River said once when she had been very little. She had put half a tinned tomato on top of genuine fruit-filled festive pudding and regarded her creation critically. "I want an Earth That Was story."

 

"All right. This story is about a Big Bad Wolf, and a Princess, and –"

 

"Boring. I want a story with monsters!"

 

"But the Big Bad Wolf _is_ a monster."

 

River scowled and pirouetted. "He's a boring monster. I want a scary story, with funny bits."

 

Older now, River does not remember the story any more, merely that it involved a great many dwarves.

 

Simon's eyes had been comically large as he'd leaned in for the punchline. "And, as their numbers dwindled from eighty to eight, the other dwarves began to suspect… _Hungry!"_

 

She had squealed with laughter in astonishment and pure delight, and Simon had poked her sharply in mock affront at her unbecoming amusement.

 

She remembers her pleasure. She remembers the triumph on Simon's face at her laughter.

 

Most of all, River remembers the feeling of surprise: of the instant when not-knowing becomes known; a flash-flood of pure, unadulterated pleasure.

   
How long ago did that feeling simply cease?

 

*

fin

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [if i lose my way (the perfect obligation remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/87056) by [inkandchocolate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkandchocolate/pseuds/inkandchocolate)




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